Details

Date Published

June 27, 2015

Date Built

June 24, 2015

CPU Clock Rate

3.5 GHz

GPU Core Clock Rate

1.114 GHz

GPU Effective Memory Clock Rate

7.01 GHz

Description

Introduction

This is my first computer build. I've always been on the fence on pulling the trigger on building a computer. Then one day after work, I decided to browse my local Micro Center. Next thing I know, I walk out with a CPU and Motherboard. A little weird, but I kind of got a rush out of this, a weird feeling that I can't quite explain. Also, my description is lengthy but I wanted it to be as comprehensive as I could make it. Anyway, I hope you like the build!

About Me

Hey everyone,

My name is Alain and I'm currently in college majoring in Mechanical Engineering. I'm finally proud to announce my brand new machine, Divisare. I named my particular machine Divisare, because it is derived from devise (not device). The archaic definition of devise: to imagine. I've been imagining of a system for years, and I found it the most fitting name. My first computer back in middle school was running on an Intel Pentium, 1 GB DDR2 RAM, and an old Nvidia graphics card with 128 MB of video memory. For the longest I could remember, I've always wanted a capable machine. I've never truly had a gaming machine of my own. During my first semester as a sophomore in college I decided to take a part time job as a graphic designer/student assistant. I took this job to as an opportunity to make income to pay student loans and possibly save some for a gaming rig. About a year later here we are. I've finally built the system of my dreams. For my first built system, I'm extremely proud to call it mine. And I couldn't be happier.

Parts

Intel i5-4690K:
I went with this CPU as it seems to be the bread and butter of today's machines and I believe it proves itself worthy for the next few years to come before it starts to show it's age. Also, I originally wanted to go with a 4460, but for another $30.00 I saw that the long term investment of the 4690K was too good to pass up so I picked it up instead. I got this as part of a combo deal at Micro Center (Paid $199 for CPU, and $99 for MOBO w/ $30 off). In terms of overclocking, I'm in the early stages of learning how to. I'm in no rush to overclock, but I'll be sure to put up an update on when I do.

CRYORIG H7: In terms of actual cooling performance, it outperforms the EVO 212. And luckily it matches my color scheme. It was a bit awkward placing onto the motherboard since it screws in from the back. But once it's seated, it's held firmly in place. It's also quiet as well.

MSI Z97S SLI Krait Edition: I went with this motherboard for it's simplistic aesthetic. I find it sufficient in terms of upgradability in the future. Although in the process of buying all the parts, I did some research and found out that there are only 3 connectors for PWM (4-pin) fans. In order to compensate for this matter, I went a head and got a PWM splitter. For the most part, it's a great board. And I got a great deal on it too!

Kingston HyperX Fury White - 16GB: What can I say about the ram? Ram is ram right? Personally I like the heatsinks on this particular set of ram sticks. They're aggressive and look fantastic. And some of you may be wondering why I went with 16GB of ram instead of 8GB. I went with 16GB as I do some graphics work and do photography as well so I feel like the 16GB is a sweet spot in terms of performance with the programs I use, such as lightroom and indesign. In addition, I will be holding onto this computer for quite a while. And ram is one of the few things in the system that can be reused later on as well.

Samsung 850 EVO - 120GB: I've looked at plenty of SSD's, and this by far is one of the best performers. Read/write is quick, and for a high end system like this, an SSD is a welcome addition. My boot times for Windows are very quick. I reach the log in screen in less than 14 seconds. Very impressive.

Western Digital Caviar Blue - 1TB: As for storage, I needed a reliable and affordable solution. And the Western Digital Caviar Blue seems to fit that role perfectly. It's enough to store the games, photos, music, and documents that I'll accumulate. I suppose with the size of today's games I might fill it up faster that I would like, but I can always pick up another hard drive no problem.

Asus GeForce GTX 970 STRIX: This is a beast of a card. I've done my research and I've read that all 970's perform just about the same. The only differences are factory overclocked speeds, running temperature, and variations in overclockability. In my case, I went with the STRIX as it was the cheapest model out at the time. In addition, it's optimized for quiet gaming. The fans don't kick in until it reaches it's thermal threshold. Very cool. Sorry, pun was unintentional.

NZXT S340: Cases are always subjective. Some hate the aesthetic, some love it. Obviously, I take the latter. The subdued look is perfect. There aren't any obtrusive mesh panels nor crazy angles. It's simplicity is what won me over. Personally, the way I see it. It focuses on the main components of what makes the system with the large side panel window. Working inside the case in terms of cable management was a pleasure. The PSU shroud makes managing the cables hassle free as there was sufficient space between the hard drive cage and the PSU to place the cables. There are also plenty of tie down points which is a welcomed addition. Lastly the grommetless design is also a unique addition. Not only does it cover the cables, it also gives a nice contrast inside the case. It caters to my needs without any excess. It has enough room for expansion and it has great unrestricted airflow for my intake fans.

EVGA 750W B2: A 750W PSU might be overkill for this PC, but there's a reason why I got it. If at all I decided to SLI my 970, I have enough headroom for SLI and GPU overclocking. In addition, I decided not to skimp out on the PSU since it's going to be powering high quality components. If at any point the PSU fails. My expensive components go along with it. This tier 2 PSU is fantastic. And I got it for a fraction of what the typical price is.

Corsair Air Series SP120 Fans: I got these as intake fans for my case since the S340 did not come with any front fans. They provide ample static pressure and aren't that loud. There is a subtle hum, but it tends to drown out. One caveat of these fans are the rubber mounts. Screwing the fans take a bit of patience. In order to install the fans, I had to create grooves for the mounting screws in the rubber by screwing in and out. Besides that, these fans are a good deal.

Silverstone Sleeved Extension Cables: These extension cables are solely for dressing the build. They feel rigid and add a clean look to the case. The price is also not too bad. It's a great compliment to the build.

Final Thoughts

The process of building this computer was a learning experience. The way I can describe it is, building a computer is like working with large very expensive Lego pieces. I'm happy the way my build turned out. I think I did a pretty great job in terms of picking out the components. I look forward to playing all the latest games coming out. I'm not exactly too sure when, but I'll be picking up a new monitor soon. I'm considering getting a dual monitor setup. But I'm in no rush. So finishing things off, I'd like to say, I'd like to thank you for taking the time to look into my build. It's quite a bit to read, but hopefully it gives some insight into my build. Since I'm a first time builder I'll happy to read any feedback you guys have for me. Oh yeah! Hope you guys enjoy the photos!

Build Log

6/24/2015 - Started building

6/28/2015 - Completed Build Made on PCPartPicker, reseated the GPU to reduce sag

6/29/2015 - I'd like to thank everyone that took the time to look at the build! I also made it as a featured build on the front page! Awesome stuff. Evidently I've had some influence on people as well. Thank you everybody who commented/upvoted my build. I appreciate the love. :)

Watch out for that GPU sag, I'd look into ways to fix that. I cut a piece of wood and put it in my PC to support my GPU, but seeing as you have a side panel window...and a color scheme...you might want to find a more appealing and effective solution than mine.

I've looked into it, and it is primarily due to the ASUS GTX 970 STRIX's DirectCU II cooler.
Because of this there is a slight amount of sag. It's a rather small problem. The sag isn't over pronounced now that I reseated the card. And slight PCB flex also shouldn't be a problem. Although, thanks for letting me know. I thinking about adding in some fishing line to hold the card up if it's really an issue. Also, here are some places that I checked out and read a thing or two.

I looked into your build, your cable sleeves are custom right? Because the only time I see wire combs are typically with custom sleeves. I have mad respect to those custom sleeve. It's such a tedious process.

Love the case (though i may be biased) and i love seeing black and white color schemes used for PCs. The overall look appears well thought out. It's always neat seeing someone use a CRYORIG cooler, they look and perform great and are priced well.

Yup! The H7 has such a competitive price point. Which I find hard to compete. Currently the H7 seems to be out of stock on most retailers. I may have ordered one of the last coolers newegg had it stock :P

I think we can all agree that this build is a hoax. There are a minimal amount of pictures, which are all blurry, unidentifiable, and a very uncomprehensive description. Lying is NOT allowed on PCPartPicker.

Hell yeah! I love the colour scheme and the case! It looks clean and amazing! Amazing pics and great description. You should start filling up those fan slots. Also how does that PSU perform? I've heard its good but getting it from an actual user would be awesome. Anyways +1! Going with the same colour scheme as well!

If you'd like to know more about the PSU, I went on JonnyGuru for information. A credible source for PSUs. Evidently the PSU is based of a Super Flower build, which is one of the best PSU manufacturers.

Oh Ive read a bunch of PSU reviews on Johnny guru, he does very good. First time reading this though! Yeah, I've come to figure that B2, G2, P2 (Which is basically the Superflower Leadex platform), and T2 (except for 1600w) all offer best price/performance. The only reason I ezcluded the 1600w T2 is because it competes with the 1500i which outclasses it and costs less. Anyways have fun with the PC!

In terms of cable management there is sufficient space in the back to lay the cables flat. In addition, there's plenty of space in the psu shroud to stow any lengthy cables. if you are concerned about any openings for cables, there are two towards the top of the case, there is one large opening where the 24 pin connector is, 3 coming from the bottom (GPU opening, and 2 openings for SSD and front panel connectors), lastly where are 3 openings for front fans.

A good amount actually, myself included, but the builds that really wowed me and have been "featured" using the S340 have all used the black case not the white. Though I did love the carbon and cream build. Guess I should've been more specific haha.

This looks great! I have the same mobo (Which makes overclocking a breeze by the way.), and almost went with the same case. They look beautiful together along with all the other black/white components in the build. Excellent job. +1

MY EYES!!!! OMG soooo pretty! for a first time build, that is pure amazing-ness right there. nice all white set-up. GJ!

just one small suggestion. I think there is a MSI 970 that's white and it would totally finish you're build there....but I guess it's no biggie since you don't look at the gpu anyways, only see the side lol.

I may possibly run SLI in the future, but the chances of doing so are rather slim. And if I were to run SLI I believe 750W should be enough. It maybe a tier 2 PSU, but I did manage to get a good deal on it as well. I got it off of NCIXUS and it came with a mail in rebate of $30 which comes out to about $50. Which isn't too bad. Considering that the PSU goes for about $75~$80. Then again, if I were to SLI, 750W is sufficient as the 970 doesn't draw too much power. All in all the 750W B2 is by no means the greatest PSU on the market, although it will performs exceedingly, especially for my build. Besides, I got it at great price. ;)

Great job man!!! This is the type of machine I should be building for my son. Clear, compact and yet powerful! In fact I might do the next CanuckGamer YouTube build on something like this as its reasonable and I have a few of the parts already!

I +1 to you sir. I have seen many first time builders buy cheap parts with NO understand of what they mean, buy Corsair PSus, (CX/CS) and then complain of haswell c6 states etc. +1. You took the time to research the process of building it and what components were ideal. I agree with EVERY choice selection. Welcome to the Glorious PCMasterRace! :)

Awesome and slick build!
Mine is similar to yours except I'm cooling my CPU with a H80i gt.
Have you tried overclocking your CPU with your Cryorig H7? If so, what kind of temps are you getting?
I'm contemplating getting rid of the H80iGT and switching back to Air cooling just because the pump/fans are making such a huge ruckus.

Great build and extremely clean and well done especially for a first timer. Only thing I would have done different is gone with a r9 390 as they objectively outperform the 970 at 1440p and 4k while they are evenly matched at 1080p

Not at all. You can do a clean install of windows from a flash drive. You set up the flash drive, and there are plenty of guides out there. Then, the only thing you have to do is boot from a flash drive through your bios to boot into set up.

Hi! I did see your comment, a little late though. But I'm currently in the middle of deciding on what monitor to pick up. I'm looking at picking up a 1080p monitor, but I'm also tempted on picking up a 1440p monitor. Here's a link to my amazon list of monitors I've considered: http://amzn.com/w/11IL6XWL1TCYO

Wow, very nice build! First time done proper. There are a few saved builds of mine that are almost identical. Ive been throwing them together on here for months trying for a perfect match. Great minds think alike... Hope whatever I choose comes out this nice! Congrats!

Great Build!!! Love the black and white theme! Could you please take a look at mine ( btw it's a £500 budget build) and give me any tips on how I could make it better but still keep it in my price range, thanks :)
http://uk.pcpartpicker.com/user/Arcaderz/saved/kGdypg

Hi Friend! Thanks for taking a look at my build! I see I sparked some inspiration. One thing I would change in your part list would be the following:

CPU: There are various other CPUs out there. I know they might be pushing it but trust me, investing the extra money on a quality CPU first time around is well worth it.

PSU: I wouldn't skimp on the PSU. Even though your PSU is bronze certified, I would still look at reviews for your PSU. I personally would go to jonnyguru for PSU reviews. I would also look into reputable brands such as Seasonic, EVGA, and cooler master. I would look at PSU's that have high quality components.

SSD: There are various other brands of SSDs much more prefered. I would look at the Samsung EVO 850. Keep an eye out on deals, SSDs are always going on sale.

Granted if you consider these changes, your build should increase roughly $200 US, but I believe it's well worth it.

Thanks for checking it out!
When I was building the machine, I wasn't too worried about noise. So what I can say is that in a quiet room, the PC is relatively audible. Is a drawn out hum of the fans, but it's not too bad. I can say that if you would like a dead silent PC I would consider replacing the fans that come included with the case and possibly looking at a different CPU cooler. Possibly even look for a different case. Although my GPU is silent. The fans don't kick in until the temps reach 60C.

Hey I have a question about the cooling. How does the cryog cool? Does it suck In the cool air from the two fans in front and resell it back out the heat sink and the rear fan exuast the rest. And the top fan exuast also. Also how does the GPU cooling work? It's facing down the case, wouldn't all that hot air hit the case and have no where to go because of the large CPU cooler? Please reply and help me understand

Two in the front of the case are intake, the two in the top left are exhaust, the Cryorig cooler takes in the cold air from the two front intake fans, and the GPU expels hot air up through the CPU cooler to the exhaust fans. The hot air is circulated always out to the top left of the case (looking at it from a side view). Look up case cooling diagrams to get a better sense of what I'm talking about. Cooling is not really an issue in this case. I'm getting idle temps of about 34C for both my CPU and GPU. In addition, your question about the GPU cooler. The GPU takes in the ambient air inside the case and expels it.

Wow.... great build. Amazing. The choice of the parts was amazing. You are also clearly smart enough to know that an i7 has no benefits to gaming. Also not to combine Radeon and Intel, if you like Radeon, please use an AMD cpu. I've just noticed it is smoother that way. You could have saved money by waiting to buy a SSD, unless for monster games like Star Citizen. But whatever, one of the best builds I have seen in a long time!

What are you talking about? Amd cpus bottleneck most Amd gpus. Intel cpus and Amd gpus go great together. Amd themselfs use intel cpus in their test systems when they show off a new gpu. in fact a 290x 8gb would have been a better buy since it performs better for the same price.

That is because Intel CPUs are best for programming. Programing a AMD GPU with a AMD core would pull the AMD CPU apart. Besides the i5, intel brings no benefit to gaming. The i3 is too slow and the i7 is overkill. I love the i5, and when programmers come to me about computers, I tell them to get a i7. I prefer the AMDFX series with Radeon. It just seems faster to me that way. No hate intended bro.

Good Point. Intel is better for massive project like game developing and hacking. Generally I am talking about a more optimized such as an MSI Twin Frozr Radeon R9 in a $1500 build and under. If you want some rendering Hackintosh or just a Sexy Beast. Than yes, use a Intel CPU.

>Blinks< I don't understand why you comment on such a thing upon their build. They have beautiful photographs but maybe it was the boxes, the single parts, that could have been a part of your reason about your displeasure? Please be respectful.

20 pics of just parts is too much for me to handle. In today's world, we need to be short and to the point. In the business world, this would be true. Everyone has the same amount of time in their day. I ran out of my time on the pics. All these pics just lost me.

Indeed so, but business isn't everything. Some of us do live in the fast-food society. I try to take things slowly and enjoy the process. Then again, not saying you have to do this. I just don't think it was a necessary comment on the build but yes it's your opinion and how you feel about it.

And I am very much aware you congratulated him, but it sort of cancels it out with what you said earlier.